Khoza aims to highlight mental health
Miss SA semifinalist inspired by reigning Natasha Joubert's tenacity
Miss SA semifinalist Lebohang Khoza, 27, is hoping to make the final cut with just under two weeks before this year’s queen is crowned on Saturday August 10.
The top 13 will have one last chance to impress the judges on Saturday on Crown Chasers with the hope of securing a spot in the final round, a step closer to making their dreams come true.
For Khoza, from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, the six weeks in the competition has helped grow her emotional intelligence, detach from external noise and focus on her goals. “This experience has been something else,” she said.
“We get to spend a lot of time together. We get to know each other and who we are. It gets disheartening when one of us is portrayed in a different light in public. If only they knew the person more and the power they carry actually to impact our country.
“At the end of the day, my role is to make sure I share messages that are uplifting to others and be their voice that amplifies their issues.”
She said another takeaway from her experience was realising that beauty pageants are not just about the crown but a gateway to building a household name in the public eye.
Khoza cited former titleholder Basetsana Kumalo as one of her inspirations and praised reigning Miss SA Natasha Joubert’s tenacious spirit of going against the grain last year by re-entering the pageant.
“Natasha’s story showed me that you’re just one more push to your desired goal,” she said.
“To never give up, no matter what. It takes so much resilience to change your story. Had she not entered Miss SA last year, she wouldn’t have known that she had the capability of being a reigning queen.”
Khoza is a choreographer and actor with a BA degree in performing arts from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“My life is centred around performing arts. Having suffered mental issues, I managed to realise that exploring my creative side helped regulate my physical and mental development,” she said.
“I then realised how much this has helped me that I went into teaching performing arts but my classes have become therapy classes where I talk to young people and assist where possible.
“I’ve seen how much my classes have helped in the community that I wanted to reach more people through what I do hence I entered Miss SA.
“I didn’t want to be stuck to just the classroom. I want to help people change their narrative. I want to impact a broader audience and build a society that is disrupting the societal norms and beauty standards.”